We rarely think twice when our computer asks us to update it, because really, who are we to argue with it? When the little note pops up in the lower right-hand corner, we click and let the computer do its thing.

More often than not, we never even notice the difference the update makes. We assume things are now better, but we don't really know how. Most updates are important because they fix bugs or security issues that may arise. Other updates may include new fun features or shortcuts.

Sometimes, however, things do not get better. Sometimes, they end up being much worse.

A $600 million mistake by Microsoft?

According to Frank K. Dickman Jr. of Albuquerque, N.M., an attempt to upgrade his laptop from Windows 7 to Windows 10 failed so badly that his computer stopped functioning the moment he tried to do it. Not only that, but Dickman Jr. claims the upgrade deleted the backed up version of Windows 7, meaning everything he previously had on his Asus laptop was gone.

Because of all that, he is suing Microsoft and its CEO Satya Nadella, seeking damages over what he is calling "civil rights violations." What is he asking for? Just $600 million. Or, he will also accept a copy of Windows 7 with a valid key code. The complaint was filed in a Denver, Colorado court.

While this seems like a terribly frustrating issue, apparently Dickman Jr. is not aware of the ways in which a Windows 10 update can be rolled back to a previous OS, including some through Windows itself.

So even if the upgrade to Windows 10 did mess things up, it did not have to be permanent and it certainly did not need to lead to a lawsuit.

If you were Microsoft, what would you do?

It's certainly difficult to imagine Dickman Jr. getting the money, which is a number that seems to have been thrown out only to draw attention and force Microsoft to get him the older version of Windows that he is confident will allow his computer to work again. But if there are clear ways in which he could have fixed the problem without having to go through all this, does he really deserve anything?

Most of us have accidentally deleted something important and panicked while trying to recover it, but at the end of the day, those are our mistakes, not Microsoft's or Apple's. Sometimes we are able to get our files back, but occasionally we cannot. That's life, and part of why the cloud is such an amazing thing.

Of course, Dickman Jr. is not the first person to have issues with a Windows update, so he probably has a good many sympathetic figures all over the world. They all may be keeping an eye on this case, which was filed on February 14 and provides a 30-day window for Microsoft to decide what they want to do.

Protect all of your files

It's a good idea to ensure that you have a reliable and secure backup of your files. This allows you to recover your data when disaster strikes and will have you up and running in no time. For your online backup needs, we recommend IDrive.

If your Windows 10 is working, this anti-spy tool is helpful

Though Frank K. Dickman Jr. may disagree, Windows 10 has been a remarkably successful operating system (OS) for Microsoft, though part of what makes it so good is the amount of information it collects. It's a lot of private info you're giving up, and not everyone is comfortable with that, so what can you do about it? That's where this download can help.